(1) Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to electronic devices such as mobile telephones including an alphanumeric keypad and at least one shift key. This invention is also directed to methods for using the alphanumeric keypad and the at least one shift key to display and/or transmit non-numeric characters over a wireless network using only one or two key strokes.
(2) Description of the Art
Most cell phones have alphanumeric keypads that use numbered keys to select characters, such as letters. Each numbered key—except for the numbered keys 0 and 1—are associated with three, and in the case of the keys numbered 7 and 9, with four alphabet characters.
Alphabet characters are selected by cell phone users for many purposes including, but not limited to entering names into an electronic phone books stored in cell phone memory, text messaging, gaming, and so forth. Alphabet characters are typically selected using the numeric keypad by placing the numeric keypad in alphabet mode and thereafter depressing a number key once, twice, or three times to select one of the three or more alphabet characters designated by the number key. The selected alphabet character is then visible on the telephone display and can be transmitted to a receiving device over a wired or a wireless network.
For example, the number 2 on a cell phone designates the letters “A”, “B” and “C”. To select the letter “C”, the user would, in alphabet mode, depress the number 2 key three times in succession. The first time the 2 key is depressed, the screen displays the letter “A”. The second time the 2 key is depressed, the screen displays the letter “B” and the third time the 2 key is depressed, the screen displays the letter “C”. This character selection process is performed repeatedly in order to spell names, draft messages and so forth.
Pressing a single number key up to three times or more to select a single alphabet character is time consuming and it can cause finger fatigue during activities that require the selection of a large amount of text, such as during text messaging. There is a need, therefore, for methods and apparatuses that reduce the number of key strokes necessary to select alphabet characters using an alphanumeric keypad.